Significant episode - ambulance called

Hi folks. I have Generalised Anxiety Disorder, and I often feel air hunger (my thinking is that surely my air hunger causes this). I experience missed and skipped beats often and have done for over 20 years. Every six months or so I have an episode which results in a panic attack. The only way to describe this is that my heart feels like it's fluttering deep in my chest and it feel congested, and then feels like it's stopped, at which point I feel like the world closes in and I'm about to pass out. I don't feel faint as such, but feel my head getting stuffy. I don't have pain or feel breathlessness. It is terrifying. I then get an adrenaline dump and feel shaky. The ambulance came and checked me over. All okay. Clearly not okay. Have you experienced anything like this?

This is very common with anxiety.

The key is to change your relationship with the sensations you experience. You've been given the medical all clear, but this really isn't a 'significant episode'. All it is really is a significant reaction to a benign symptom. That's the way you need to look at it.

Have you ever investigated why you experience skipped beats? They can be caused by numerous reasons, but in themselves they are not dangerous at all.

Thanks, Joe. I guess I'd feel better if somebody said they had the exact same symptoms, but I appreciate that's unrealistic. I have had no investigation into why I get skipped beats but I presume it's because I have anxiety. I am considering medication for the first time. I have started exercising, so will see how that goes first. Just did an hour at the gym and I'm alive.

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Originally Posted by jayke

Thanks, Joe. I guess I'd feel better if somebody said they had the exact same symptoms, but I appreciate that's unrealistic. I have had no investigation into why I get skipped beats but I presume it's because I have anxiety. I am considering medication for the first time. I have started exercising, so will see how that goes first. Just did an hour at the gym and I'm alive.

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Hundreds of people here have had the identical experience.

Skipped beats can be caused by anxiety, stress, reflux, post nasal drip...the list is almost endless. Skipped beats aren't dangerous unless they're caused by something dangerous, and that's usually not the case. And you've been given the all clear.

Well, I can say that I have had a similar type of thing you've experienced twice in the last year. I too have had ectopics for many years, over 30 as it happens. I'd never had the type of thing you describe before except in the last year. It felt like my heart stopped and everything span and as if I was about to pass out and everything went kind of 'white' and my head was 'pressury'(I didn't pass out). The shock of the feeling caused an instant 'adrenaline dump' as you call it ! I had someone with me the first time it happened, and wasn't doing anything untoward or anxious, and all I can presume is that I had a long gap in the ectopics (they were happening that day) as there were a few racing ones afterwards. I won't deny it scared me, I thought my heart was/had stopped and circulation had stopped to my head or something, but within seconds I was ok again. My ectopics are benign and I suspect this was just an unusual pattern as I've had no lasting effects. In your situation it sounds like you had a fast 'run' of beats trying to catch up from a longer gap (hence the fluttering), its not a nice feeling at all, but your heart will regulate just as it did this time.

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Originally Posted by jayke

Hi folks. I have Generalised Anxiety Disorder, and I often feel air hunger (my thinking is that surely my air hunger causes this). I experience missed and skipped beats often and have done for over 20 years. Every six months or so I have an episode which results in a panic attack. The only way to describe this is that my heart feels like it's fluttering deep in my chest and it feel congested, and then feels like it's stopped, at which point I feel like the world closes in and I'm about to pass out. I don't feel faint as such, but feel my head getting stuffy. I don't have pain or feel breathlessness. It is terrifying. I then get an adrenaline dump and feel shaky. The ambulance came and checked me over. All okay. Clearly not okay. Have you experienced anything like this?

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The paramedics went one further with me an trundled me off to A & E at 5 in the morning on account of my heart being stuck at 145 bpm and it doing a breakdance during two ECGs. There was no time to change out of my tea-stained dressing gown and reindeer slippers (even though it was February) :whistles:

Eventually a very bored looking doctor diagnosed a panic attack, gave me a betablocker (and a prescription for some more) and told me to go home and see my GP in a week.

No heart issues - 'just' anxiety.

I think, as I think I read further up, saying its a 'significant episode' is making it seem like something it wasn't. It was significant to you, but not medically significant, and theres a big difference there.

Thank you so much you guys, for your replies. You are all right - anxiety. I just need to remember that if it happens again. Which I guess is like trying not to blink when somebody pretends to hit you in the face. But it can be done! I think that my thoughts flick a switch to palpitations. It's so weird. It really feels like a thinking about them can bring on the ectopics. I have been going to the gym (first time in months) so that's great. Actually, I felt anxious tonight because I was hungrier than usual because I have been working so hard in the gym. Can't win!

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Originally Posted by Carys

I think, as I think I read further up, saying its a 'significant episode' is making it seem like something it wasn't. It was significant to you, but not medically significant, and theres a big difference there.

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This nails it for me actually...

It was a MASSIVE deal to me, but there was nothing medically wrong. It was a series of panic attacks - which felt like big one - because I was terrified. Nice one Carys!:yesyes: